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This is neat too! I like the real life photo references. Just 1 thing.... why no graffiti????

Thanx again brotha and I actually did this car for someone who wanted it without graffiti. I'm in the process of one that I started before this one that is done inside and out graffiti and all 👍 The doors opened on the one side like it was sitting on a platform. Entire inside fully done with proper seat, wall and door colors. Advertisements as well 👌 stay tuned and stay safe...much love 👊✌

Joe Cardism, how do you illuminate the interior of your car?  It seems very close to the actual lighting I remember in those cars.

Well funny you asked...the guy who wanted me to do this car for him sent me some kind of led lighting. He told me he uses them for his bar. I'm like ok.... so he sent me them and I ran the wiring threw out the car to be hidden from sight and I connected the open wire to the track to light the car. They do light up the car nicely I must say. I plan on doing all of my cars like this in the future but this is a whole new world to me...lol sorry I couldn't help with any real info brotha. Hope all is well stay safe ✌

A bit of fun I had when building my subway module was figuring out how to illuminate subway signals.  I ended up using fiber optic lines fitted into Shapeways 3D-printed subway signal bodies, with colored bits of plastic over the lens, all powered by a 9-volt battery.

An unanticipated twist was that the light source (an LED) had a bluish tint to it, making it difficult to get reasonably accurate colors: green plastic looked yellowish, yellow plastic looked greenish, and red plastic looked purple.  So, orange became the new red, yellow became the new green, and green became the new yellow!

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  • Subway Signal - resized
Last edited by West Side Joe

On top of the tunnel section of my subway module, I am adding a streetscape.  In the sidewalk are gratings that allow a view of the subway as it passes under the street.  Of course, in real life you can't actually see the subway as it passes, only hear it and feel the breeze.  But this isn't real life, is it?

West Side Joe

NICE Video !  And an excellent recreation and a novel, ingenious, imaginative  and interesting idea -- I am sure it can be used by other modelers ---- especially over subway stations also.   Well shot and composed ! I also like the Bus at the curb to give more depth and creativity.

Regards - Joe F

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but since it covers subways, I thought I'd ask this question here:  MTH Lo-V subways 30-2447-1. Is it common for all of the couplers on this set to randomly uncouple (due to a weak coupler spring)?  Not a problem on any of my Lionel freight cars, but frequent just on this set. Bought the set used , so no history.

Hello Gary --

NO, you are not hijacking this thread at all !   Well, I converted my MTH Low-V's (including motor trucks)  with scale sized insulated wheels for 2 rail operation.  Doing so I make new "unpowered" (ie: trailing) trucks using the MTH metal sideframes  (which I ground down and reshaped the bottom portions of,  on a large motorized grinding wheel to more scale dimensions) screwed to brass cross bolsters I fabricated to complete the truck.  This made my Low V "trailing" cars 75% lighter than original MTH bodies. In the conversion I created and used my own self-built type close coupling manual more scale sized couplers. I use ONE MTH Motor truck with steel scale sized 33" wheels, installed in the rear of the train's  first car. That car tows FOUR coupled trailing cars easily creating a 5 car train, and with no need for rubber "traction" tires either,  NOR two motor trucks in the first car !!   And running on scale profile and sized rail 2 rail track.

Those super heavy solid block metal steel truck chassis on the trailing cars create excessive weight.  Those same blocks used for the 2 power trucks used on the Motorized (ie: "locomotive") car are OK so to give tractive pulling effort weight but ARE NOT NEEDED on non-powered trailing cars.  If you are running 6 cars (5 cars towed by one power car) - that could be part of the problem...especially if you have up and down grades on your layout   That is a lot of weight on the couplers.... especially those on the first few cars of the train.  Especially if they have weak springs.   Notice that on any other (Lionel or MTH) passenger cars the trucks are made more conventional to prototype.  Same goers for freight cars.  And THOSE cars are lighter than MTH Subway cars.  Just my thoughts.

To understand,  MTH never used the same truck block from one of their small diesel locomotives 4 wheel powered trucks --  on their unpowered trailing mainline R.R. passenger cars !  But they did that on the subway unpowered trailing car sets.  Don't know WHY !!??

Either (1) - replace any coupler-hand springs,  (2) - get new couplers,  or (3) - glue the coupler hands in solid shut position (like a solid non operating coupler) so they will not open at all.

Here BELOW are photos of my MTH Low-V truck conversions from 3 rail to 2 rail scale

BELOW- Top View of reworked and converted MTH Low-V Truck (and not repainted yet)

IMG_2132

 

BELOW- Bottom View of reworked and converted MTH Low-V Truck  (and not repainted yet) 

with a GOO applied 1/4" thick wood slab for stiffing the brass bolster plate

IMG_2133

 

BELOW - Side view of completed, assembled 2 rail scale wheels truck with "trimmed down" MTH

Low V Sideframes to proper scale proportions - seen not yet repainted. Brass 3rd rail paddle shoes will be added

before painting

IMG_2136

 

BELOW - at left, MTH Low-V with MTH Truck reworked and repainted,  and my own scale size working

"radial swing" body mounted coupler. Car sits lower and more prototype to rail heads.  Compare with

original factory-condition MTH Low-V Car and truck at right

JHF 2-Rail scale converted MTH LOW V with MTH factory RED Low-V

 

BELOW - closeup of MTH fully reworked, repainted, scaled down to proper size-proportions,  to be an

IRT type Commonwealth Motor style Truck, with a scale brass  paddle-type 3rd rail shoe added

JHF Converted MTH LowV-Truck to scale and lowered carbody

 

BELOW -- original MTH Low-V at left  and its massive heavy unpowered trailing type truck and

huge coupler, and at right, my scale sized wheels, 2 Rail converted MTH Truck at right and my

body-mounted radial swing manual coupling coupler. My Car sits at proper scale height from track rails .

MTH Low V & JHF 2-Rail scale converted MTH Low-V

 

 

 

regards - Joe F

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Images (6)
  • IMG_2132
  • IMG_2133
  • IMG_2136
  • JHF 2-Rail scale converted MTH LOW V with MTH factory RED Low-V
  • JHF Converted MTH LowV-Truck to scale and lowered carbody
  • MTH Low V & JHF 2-Rail scale converted MTH Low-V
Last edited by Joseph Frank
@pdxtrains posted:

I've resorted to gluing shut couplers on a few of my subway cars. This is a problem I've encountered, only I don't have the LoV set. Mine happened on the World's Fair set, and the P2 #1 train (white.)

Hello PDX --

Heh -- I have a huge ( 39' x 15 x 39" x 15) HO Scale Mainline Railroad "modular wall shelves" Layout and run 12 to 16  car locomotive hauled passenger trains.  It surrounds my center-of-room huge O Scale NYC EL & Trolley Layout with aisles between the O Scale modular layout and the HO Scale wall layout.

Besides the usual HO Scale horn hook couplers -- a number of my cars have various brands-types of working HO Scale Knuckle couplers.  Some of these also tend to fail at times on certain cars -- more of an occasional nuisance than a very regular event. 

However, heh,  when your passenger train goes around the layout a number of times successfully, and then you don't notice that 4 or 5 tail end cars are suddenly missing from its rear --- and soon find them being PUSHED by the locomotive at the head end of the same train doing the entire route-loop -- that IS ANNOYING !!!   And a P I T A  !!  Sometimes causes a derailment additionally. 

So those affected cars knuckle couplers get GLUED and locked shut.  NO MORE PROBLEMS !!  Many of my long distance HO passenger trains remain the same car-consists.  It's no issue to me to lift a car-end up slightly to uncouple or couple-add an additional car.  Worth the tiny effort to NOT have any more mid train uncouplings "on the run.."

Regards - Joe F

Last edited by Joseph Frank
@pdxtrains posted:

I've resorted to gluing shut couplers on a few of my subway cars. This is a problem I've encountered, only I don't have the LoV set. Mine happened on the World's Fair set, and the P2 #1 train (white.)

PDX, is that worlds fair set you referred to the R-36 one or the Q car Worlds fair set?  My r-36 Worlds fair set set is a ps-2 versión and has never had a problem. However, I’m thinking about buying the Q car worlds fair set from the current catalog and was wondering if this was an issue. Thanks in advance. 

@pdxtrains posted:

That's fantastic. And that bus is amazing! Where did you get it? Is the signage custom?

 

The bus is a Hachette product, made of resin, plastic and metal, easily disassembled to enable adding figures. The signage is part of the model. Search on Hachette 1/43 "Fishbowl" bus on Ebay and you will find various versions.

Last edited by West Side Joe

Well, thank you for the feedback on random uncoupling. As I have only ONE subway set, I was wondering how common the problem is and whether there was a "manufacturer" fix.  For me, I have resorted to small rubber bands around the coupling shaft to keep the locking pin in the hole.  I like that better than the prospect of permanently glueing them. And depending on the rubber band used, it may be possible to still uncouple with the center rail electromagnet, if it can overcome the rubber band tension. However, in practical operation, my cars are always run in the same coupled state.

On top of the tunnel section of my subway module, I am adding a streetscape.  In the sidewalk are gratings that allow a view of the subway as it passes under the street.  Of course, in real life you can't actually see the subway as it passes, only hear it and feel the breeze.  But this isn't real life, is it?

Absolutely fantastic.  Gives me ideas, and I'm sure others too.

A shout-out to Marty at scalecitydesigns.com for the cool custom engraved utility access hole covers he offers. He'll engrave a set of 6 with whatever you want (all the items in each set must be the same lettering). A nice detail for my NYC streetscape over my subway tunnel module. Naturally, I asked for Con Edison, Bell Telephone, and NYC Sewer. They could also be located on underground subway station platforms. You can download the whole 20 page catalog for free from his site. 

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  • 20200624_221816
  • 20200624_221713
  • 20200624_221545
Last edited by West Side Joe

On top of the tunnel section of my subway module, I am adding a streetscape.  In the sidewalk are gratings that allow a view of the subway as it passes under the street.  Of course, in real life you can't actually see the subway as it passes, only hear it and feel the breeze.  But this isn't real life, is it?

Weeeeeelllll...on three-track portions of the IRT Broadway line (above 103 street), the center track (and thus trains passing by on it) is actually visible through the grates on the center median where they intersect some crosswalks. Peek at Broadway & 110st on Google Maps' satellite view for one such example. 

---PCJ

@SIRT posted:

An LIRR Conductor waits to board the next train to Jamaica.

Pedrestians walking above can feel the warm air from the tra

The Graffiti artists have been busy in the tunnels again.

Transit workers are cleaning the cars for the next day's ser

Steve, I've been admiring your subway module where the line emerges from tunnel into open cut. I especially like how well you captured the cement wall with that funny inward-leaning curve at the top.

I plan a similar tunnel - open cut module. Do you have any info to share on how you shaped and colored the wall and the tunnel portal? Thanks.

Last edited by West Side Joe

Thanks

NYC SUBWAYS – Actually the cement wall and tunnel entrance were copied from BMT Brighton Line. https://www.nycsubway.org/wiki/Main_Page

I cut 1x2 sticks, bent Masonite on the curve, applied Styrofoam with liquid nails and sanded. All cement is painted with linen. Added utility lines, signals, graffiti, and overgrown bushes. Added a power sub-station building on top of the entrance between modules. Below is the inverse from the photo you posted.

Looks like you are doing some nice modeling on the subway scenes.

transition

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